Mipcom 2017 country focus russia

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October 2017

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Contents The next revolution

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The class of 2017

Russia’s reputation for onscreen creativity is as high today as it has ever been.

We profile some of the performers, producers and filmmakers that are driving the Russian entertainment revolution One hundred years after the Russian Revolution we look at three major dramas that focus on the historic events that changed Russia forever — Trotsky, The Road To Calvary and Demon Of The Revolution

Russia by numbers

12 Research shows a strong increase in Russian programmes launching on the international marketplace.

We look at this and other trends in the Russian content industry

Who’s Who in production

13

The Russian content wave is being powered by a world-class production sector. We highlight some of the key players producing programming for the national and international markets

Spotlight on Russian drama

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What is the typical outsider’s idea of a Russian drama? Whatever it is, it’s probably wrong — as we discover a wide range of looks, styles and stories coming out of Russia

Taking on the world

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Russia’s status as an animation superpower is re-confirmed this year with the World Premiere TV Screening of children’s fantasy Heroes Of Envell in Cannes. Here we focus on leading animation studios

RUSSIAN CONTENT REVOLUTION — October 2017 — MIPCOM News Country Focus. Director of Publications Paul Zilk EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT Editor in Chief Julian Newby Deputy Editor Debbie Lincoln Contributing Editor (Moscow) Lera Paksyalina Sub Editor Jo Stephens Contributors Andy Fry, Juliana Koranteng Head Of Graphic Studio Herve Traisnel Graphic Studio Manager Frederic Beauseigneur Graphic Designer Carole Peres PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT Publishing Director Martin Screpel Publishing Manager Amrane Lamiri Publishing Co-ordinator Emilie Lambert, Yovana Filipovic, Veronica Pirim Printer Riccobono Imprimeurs, Le Muy (France) Reed MIDEM, a joint stock company (SAS), with a capital of €310.000, 662 003 557 R.C.S. NANTERRE, having offices located at 27-33 Quai Alphonse Le Gallo - 92100 BOULOGNE-BILLANCOURT (FRANCE), VAT number FR91 662 003 557. Contents © 2017, Reed MIDEM Market Publications. Publication registered 4th quarter 2017. Printed on PEFC Certified Paper.

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Drama: The Russian Revolution

The next revolution One hundred years after the Russian Revolution of 1917 comes the Russian Content Revolution, a series of screenings and events taking place during the MIPCOM week. Andy Fry looks at three major dramas that focus on different aspects of the historic events that changed Russia forever Country Focus• 6 • OCTOBER 2017

‘To shoot Trotsky’s story is a big risk and huge responsibility’ Konstantin Khabensky as Trotsky LEON Trotsky, one the architects of the Russian Revolution and creator of the Red Army, was expelled from the USSR by Stalin in 1929.

He wandered the world for several years, eventually finding asylum in Mexico. “In our series, we explore his memories as he revisits the major events of his life, which unfold against the backdrop of the genesis of the USSR,” says Alexander Tsekalo, founder of Sreda Production and producer of the 8 x 52 mins series.

“Viewers will see all the historical characters that were implicated in the Russian Revolution, as well as the famous [Mexican] artist Frida Kahlo, who was a friend of Trotsky in his last years. He also knew Freud and met all sorts of people in his lifetime.”

Trotsky is directed by Alexander Kott and stars acclaimed Russian actor Konstantin Khabensky in the titular role. “The action takes place in three different periods of time between 1898 to 1940, to fully reveal the ambiguous personality of the man who had the blood of millions on his hands, yet stayed faithful to his ideas till the very end and managed to change the world,” Tsekalo says. He adds that Khabensky, who is in Cannes with fellow cast member Olga Sutulova, does a superb job of capturing Trotsky’s impressive yet controversial personality.

According to Tsekalo, the idea for Trotsky came from Channel One CEO Konstantin Ernst, who is a co-producer on the project. “It was a proposal impossible to reject,” he adds.

Produced by Sreda Production for Channel One Russia, Trotsky is the story of one of the most powerful and controversial figures of the Russian Revolution “Nobody in Russia has shot anything about Trotsky and those who have tried in other countries have made it either innocent or naive. Trotsky belongs to a pleiad [celebrated group] of daemonic leaders, so to shoot his story is a big risk and huge responsibility.”

In terms of the production itself, Tsekalo says: “We have been shooting in two countries: Russia [in Saint Petersburg, the cradle of the revolution] and Mexico, where Trotsky spent his last years. Like any other Sreda project, Trotsky is audacious, with great dramaturgy, high quality and a strong cast.” Alongside Khabensky and Sutulova, the cast includes Maksim Matveev, Eugeny Stychkin, Mikhail Porechenkov, Sergey Garmash, Alexandra Mareeva and Viktoriya Poltorak.

Channel One’s Ernst is excited about both the quality and timing of the project: “This autumn marks the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution. Two of its protagonists were Lenin and Trotsky. Channel One will showcase a docu-drama about Lenin, based on archives that will be publicly disclosed for the first time. Trotsky, the mastermind of the October upheaval, will be presented to the audience as the hero of this series. He’s an international star of the last 100 years — a real pop icon and a man of great achievements and extraordinary guts, who had an astounding and tragic fate. This is the first drama dedicated to

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Trotsky in the history of Russia. We hope to rouse Russian and international audience interest in this project.”

“

Trotsky was a man of great achievements and extraordinary guts, who had an astounding and tragic fate Konstantin Ernst

”

Tsekalo, who has previously sold a raft of Sreda shows to Netflix, has experience of the global TV market. “Certainly Trotsky, as one of the creators of ‘terrorism as a way of speaking out’, is an icon,” he says. “Perhaps his notoriety will attract viewers. Perhaps the quality and level of drama will. Perhaps, also, we could make an arrangement for an international remake with actors from different countries. We are looking forward to co-production and we are ready for it.”

The screenplay for Trotsky is by Oleg Malovichko, who also worked with Sreda on hit crime series Method.

Drama: The Russian Revolution

“This reminds us of the hardships people overcame” Set between 1914-1919, The Road To Calvary focuses on the Russian Revolution and the ensuing Civil War, which took place amid the turmoil and horror of the First World War THE ROAD To Calvary is an epic new TV adaption of Aleksey Tolstoy’s acclaimed trilogy of novels for Russian broadcaster NTV. NTV general producer Timur Weinstein says: “The action commences in Saint Petersburg in 1914, with the city and society living in anticipation of change. The story centres on the Bulaviny sisters. The First World War fills their lives with new worries. As the war draws to the end, happiness seems to be close. But the Revolution and Civil War dramatically change the lives of the sisters, their families and the country. The Road To Calvary becomes not a metaphorical title, but the reality of their lives.”

The series was directed by Konstantin Khudyakov and stars Yuliya Snigir and Anna Chipovskaya. Explaining the story’s appeal to NTV, Weinstein says: “Russia is famous for its literary talents. With their adroit writing and insights, they have chronicled the country’s history in their books. In Russia, this enduring set of novels by Aleksey Tolstoy is regarded as a handbook that represents this period vividly.”

Not to be overlooked either, Weinstein says, is that this year is the 100th anniversary of the October Revolution: “The book has been adapted for the screen twice, in 1957 and in 1977, and both have their own interpretations and accents. But the 100th anniversary of the revolution called for a new adaptation. This is a key landmark in Russian history and reminds us of the hardships people overcame.”

Weinstein says the production team has paid close attention to historical accuracy and detail: “Lots of experts worked on the project and we tried to reproduce the epoch and the costumes accurately. I’m pleased to say that the State History Museum in Moscow has included our props in its exhibition on the 100th anniversary of the revolution.”

Weinstein stresses, however, that The Road To Calvary is not a backward-looking project: “It is an attempt to talk to the young in the language they understand. We offer a fresh look at the events and hope they will discover something new about the history of Russia.”

“

We offer a fresh look at the events and hope people will discover something new about the history of Russia Timur Weinstein

”

Shooting took place in Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Pyatigorsk and Archangel. Saint Petersburg proved to be most challenging in terms of ensuring historical accuracy, Weinstein

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Anna Chipovskaya in Road to Calvary says: “They had to do a great deal of work in post-production to remove air conditioners, advertisement banners and other signs of our time.

The house museum of the Russian poet and writer Nekrasov was the easiest place to find the right decoration. The place is historically accurate, from the door latches to the stove.”

In Pyatigorsk, the production made use of an entire city block that has been preserved by the local history museum around the house of Russian writer Mikhail Lermontov. “Konstantin Khudyakov fell in love with the location at first sight,” Weinstein says. “Several scenes that took place in different cities — Samara, Ekaterinoslavl and Rostov — were shot there. However, the most exhausting scenes were the battle scenes. The First World War was a trench war so, to ensure authenticity, we had to dig trenches and reinforce them in the way the soldiers did.”

Weinstein says The Road To Calvary is a part of NTV’s new strategy to create high-quality TV series with talented scriptwriters, directors and actors. In terms of its appeal to international buyers, he adds: “Our distributor, Dori Media Group, says there’s already a lot of interest. Projects like The Road To Calvary are in demand because of they tell universal stories. Despite the tragedy of the events, the main focus is the lives of the central characters.

Remember that the British adaptation of War And Peace has got the whole television world talking about Russian drama masterpieces.”

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Drama: The Russian Revolution

‘Our ambition was to tell a real story based on real historical fact’ Event mini-series Demon Of The Revolution tells the little-known story of Germany’s involvement in Lenin’s rise to power DEMON Of The Revolution (3 x 100 mins) is dedicated to one of the most important political events of the 20th century — the Russian Revolution of 1917.

“But the story our mini-series is based on was never ever discussed in the Soviet Union — for obvious reasons,” say the show’s producers, Alexander Rodnyansky and Sergey Melkumov.

“During World War I, when the Russian Empire fought Germany, a European businessman of Russian descent called Alexander Parvus approached the German foreign ministry with an extraordinary proposition: to finance the revolution in Russia. With Germany’s approval and German money, Parvus started searching for a Russian party radical enough to finance — and chose the Bolsheviks, run by Vladimir Lenin. In exchange, the Germans expected Russia to quit the anti-German coalition and stop the war.”

Demon Of The Revolution chronicles the events that preceded Lenin’s return to Russia after a decade of exile — a journey that was extraordinary in its own way, with Lenin and his comrades transported in a sealed train carriage through embattled Germany into Russia.

The three principals of the story are Parvus, Lenin and a Russian counter-intelligence officer called Mezentsev, who attempted to thwart Parvus and Lenin’s plans. “They are brilliantly performed by the biggest stars of Russian film and theatre: Evgeny Mironov, Fedor Bondarchuk and Maksim Matveev,” say Rodnyansky and Melkumov. Other characters include contemporary politicians and public figures, and the Russian revolutionaries who would go on to lead the new Soviet state.

For Rodnyansky and Melkumov, the drama was an opportunity to tell the story of Lenin from a different angle: “Lenin is known glob-

ally as a man who changed the course of human history and who infected millions with his system of utopian ideals. There were numerous films made about Lenin in Soviet times, but none bore any resemblance to the actual historical figure. They all propagated the mythological Lenin, which was very far from what this man actually was: a complicated, perceptive, smart, powerful and incredibly talented man, who was ready to do anything to achieve his goals. Our ambition was to tell a real story based on real historical facts.”

“

There were numerous films about Lenin in Soviet times, but none bore any resemblance to the historical figure — a complicated, perceptive, smart, powerful and incredibly talented man Alexander Rodnyansky

”

Demon Of The Revolution is not just a “gripping thriller”, Rodnyansky and Melkumov say, “but a story that is relevant to the contemporary world, where millions of people are still infected with various utopian ideals and are ready to sacrifice their own lives, or the lives of others, to achieve their goals”.

The drama is also “an event mini-series in all senses of the word”, according to its producers: “For a start, it has without doubt the largest budget in the contemporary history of Russian television. It also features the best actors working in Russia today. We tell a story that has never been told before and which, for many people, will change the way they look at important his-

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torical facts. The story takes place in many European countries and our project is multi-lingual, so the Russian characters speak Russian and the Germans speak German. These factors make Demon Of The Revolution a real event.”

The series, which was filmed mostly on location in Budapest and Moscow, will premiere on Rossiya 1 on the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution, which began on November 7, 1917.

In terms of its international appeal, Rodnyansky and Melkumov say: “It’s a story based on Russian historic events, but not limited to Russia. This is an international project with a large number of international participants; a political thriller with characters from all the nations involved in the Great War. Even the names of the Russian characters are very well known around the world, so the story doesn’t require any additional explanations. It is easily accessible to anyone.”

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Trends

IN THE centenary of the Russian Revolution, the country is enjoying a content revolution. More dramas are being produced and seen across the country than ever before, and the international marketplace is opening up to this content.

In 2016, research organisation EuroDataTV-NoTA monitored 67 launches outside Russia of programmes either produced or developed in the country. This is a strong increase over 2015 when the company monitored 47 new launches of Russian programmes internationally. The biggest market for these programmes has been Ukraine.

But key US, European and Asian players have been knocking at Russia’s door over the last two years. Big news for the Russian industry was the acquisition of Sreda-produced police drama Silver Spoon by Netflix, and Through My Eyes, co-created by Zaur Bolotaev, by Fox Television Studios. And Hulu has acquired the rights to the thriller series The Day After, produced by Art Pictures Vision, for broadcast in Japan.

Yellow, Black and White’s series Better Than Us, was chosen as a finalist for the MIPDrama Screenings at MIPTV. And leading Russian channel NTV recently struck three distribution deals with international distributors. The screen adaptation of the great novel by Alexey Tolstoy, The Road To Calvary — premiered at MIPCOM — is being distributed by Dori Media, and the series Death Highway and Sleepers are being distributed by Armoza Formats.

Some of this new international activity can be credited to The Russian Export Center (REC). The organisation was established in 2015 to offer exporters and their prospective foreign partners support in the search for foreign buyers of exported products, the financing of export contracts, logistics, IP protection and other matters relating to trade and exports.

“Media content producers and production studios started working with the REC because of the Center’s ongoing efforts to promote the export of digital content,” the REC’s CEO Petr Fradkov said. “Russian content producers are well known for the high quality of their product and Russian studios have gained strong reputation on foreign markets.”

The REC also started working with key players in the animation industry at the start of 2017. “We have successfully launched a marketing and advertising programme to promote and support Russian animation producers,” Fradkov said. “The first step as we see it is to set up national pavilions at key international fairs and expos. MIPJunior and MIPCOM are among the must-take-part events for digital content producers.”

© Photo: goir / Getty Images

Russia by numbers

RUSSIA’S TOP-10 CHANNELS 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Rossiya 1 Channel One NTV Channel 5 TNT

6. CTC 7. REN TV 8. Domashniy 9. TV Center 10. TV3

THE RUSSIAN DRAMA BOOM - The number of TV films and series produced in 2016 was up 22% on 2015 - 478 new TV dramas were launched in 2016; 304 were launched in 2015 - Around 1,000 projects comprising 9,702 hours were at various stages of production by the end of 2016

BEST-RATED SERIES IN RUSSIA IN 2016 Silver Spoon, season two (Sreda Production) Sofia (Russia Television and Radio, Rossiya 1) Red Queen (Channel One)

TOP-10 PRODUCTION COMPANIES Number of hours on-air in 2016

- OTK – 303 hours, Channel 5, TV-3, Domashniy - Forward-film – 187 hours, NTV, Rossiya 1 - Russkoe Film Company – 177, Rossiya 1 - Star Media – 122 hours, Channel One, TV-Center, Domashniy, Rossiya 1, NTV, TV-3 - Russian World Studios – 108 hours, Channel One, TNT, Domashniy, Rossiya 1, Channel 5 - Yellow, Black and White – 65 hours, CTC, Che - Good Story Media – 64 hours, CTC, TNT - Art Pictures vision – 60 hours, Channel One, CTC, Match TV - Gamma – 58 hours, NTV, TV-Center Source: KVG Research

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Production

Who’s who in Russian production?

The Russian content wave is being powered in part by the country’s world-class production sector. Here, we highlight some of the key players and the content they are creating for both local and international markets

ART PICTURES VISION

RUSSIAN WORLD STUDIOS

ONE OF Russia’s leading production companies, Art Pictures Vision specialises in TV series for the major national channels. The company has been a part of the National Media Group since 2017.

Among Art Pictures Vision’s key projects is sports drama Molodezhka, which is now in its fifth season. The story centres on youth hockey team The Bears, which has yet to top the league. Everything changes with the arrival of The Bears’ new coach, a former NHL star who has had to give up his career and return to Russia because of a serious knee injury. The coach takes on the challenge of building a team of first-class players, able to cope with both the demands of their sport and the trials of life.

Another successful Art Pictures Vision drama is 12-part thriller The Day After, now in its third season. The story starts when 11 young people, who are strangers to each other, find themselves trapped in an underground bunker. None of them remembers how they got here and no one knows what is happening outside. Meanwhile, a deadly virus is accidentally released into Moscow, killing thousands of citizens and sparking a mass evacuation. The city becomes a wasteland — and our 11 young strangers find themselves responsible for the future of mankind.

RUSSIAN World Studios (RWS) comes to MIPCOM with a line-up of new shows to be launched later this year and early next year on leading Russian networks. Generating particular interest this week in Cannes is epic historical drama The Road To Calvary, based on Alexey Tolstoy’s novel set in Russia from 1914 to 1919. The drama, produced by RWS for NTV, premieres at MIPCOM. Among the RWS titles currently in production is Two Vs Death, a 12-episode drama about a young couple who meet in hospital and fall in love, knowing they have just weeks to live.

Historical drama Svetlana is the story of ‘the Kremlin princess’, Svetlana Alliluyeva, daughter of Joseph Stalin. Svetlana changed her name and religion three times, married four times, gave birth to three children who abandoned her, lived in the US, Georgia, Switzerland, the UK and France, and wrote several books. But throughout her life, she would always be known to everyone as Stalin’s daughter.

Also on RWS’ slate is detective drama Countdown, starring Yuri Kolokolnikov. Here, the Game Of Thrones wildling plays a cop who investigates complicated cases and catches bad guys.

Svetlana, the story of ‘the Kremlin princess’

Molodezhka centres on youth hockey team The Bears

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Production SPUTNIK VOSTOK PRODUCTION SPUTNIK Vostok Production has been making film and TV content since 2009. The company, headed by producer Alexander Kessel, is a familiar name on the Russian TV market thanks to such successful series as Londongrad, The Last Cop and Doctor Zaytseva’s Diary.

Internationally, Sputnik Vostok Production is known for sci-fi drama Better Than Us (in co-production with Yellow, Black and White), which generated interest at MIPTV 2017 when it was shortlisted for a MIPDrama Screenings.

At the end of this year Sputnik Vostok Production, in co-operation with Yellow, Black and White, and NEBO Film Company, will release Lapsi, the story of a group of epide-

miologists whose search for the origins of a deadly virus leads them to the wilds of Karelia. With their lives under threat, the protagonists are forced to confront their past. Lapsi was produced exclusively for Start, a new Russian OTT platform launched by Yellow, Black and White.

The company’s portfolio also contains traditional melodramas, for example From Hatred To Love.

Nautilus Media, led by the same production team as Sputnik Vostok Production, specialises in light entertainment. It is currently producing musical comedy series Up To The Sun, which is an unusual genre for Russian television.

Musical comedy series Up To The Sun

WEIT MEDIA ONE OF the largest production companies in Russia, WeiT Media is a strategic partner of Endemol Shine. Its CEO and general producer is Yulia Sumacheva.

Working with Russia’s leading federal broadcasters, WeiT Media creates content across a variety of genres, including drama, feature film, documentary and animation.

The company’s portfolio presently contains more than 180 projects, including successful Russian adaptations of popular scripted drama formats The Killing and The Bridge, and local versions of global entertainments formats, including Your Face Sounds Familiar, The Brain, Money Drop, The Big-

gest Loser, Master Chef Junior and Operation Triumph.

The company’s original dramas include detective series On The Other Side Of Death and Schubert, which is set to launch on NTV. Original WeiT Media series Caramel — about a girl who has the ability to hear what mean are thinking — has been successfully adapted and aired in the Middle East. A feature film based on the TV series is now in production in that region.

STAR MEDIA

The Russian adaptation of popular scripted drama format The Bridge

As a result, the dramas offer a fresh perspective on the events that shaped both Russian and world history, which will appeal equally to domestic and international audiences. A powerful combination of authentic documentary and compelling fiction lies at the heart of both dramas, which are set to premiere on Channel One Russia.

STAR Media, one of the leading production and distribution companies in Russia, Ukraine and CIS, is showcasing two docu-dramas at MIPCOM. The first, The Russian Revolution, is an eight-episode series chronicling the upheavals in February and October 1917 that changed Russian history. The second is a 12-part biographical drama about Vladimir Lenin, the man who inspired and led the Russian revolution, and was the architect, builder and first head of the Soviet state.

Both productions are based on Star Media’s exclusive access to archives and the input of respected historians from Russia and elsewhere.

Star Media’s The Russian Revolution

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Production AMEDIA PRODUCTION AMEDIA Production, which specialises in TV series and movies, was founded in 2002. One of Russia’s biggest production companies, its roster includes more than 70 projects across the genre spectrum, from mysteries and thrillers to romantic comedies and sitcoms. Its top titles include The Golden Horde, Hotel Russia, Lady Commissioner, Boarding School, Poor Nastya, Ugly Betty, Tatyana’s Day and Nanny.

Amedia is fully owned by Access Industries — which is headed by Len Blavatnik — which includes Access Entertainment, headed by head former BBC director Danny Cohen. In addition to the major Russian TV channels, the company’s partners include such international heavyweights as Sony Pictures, HBO, Keshet, HOT, Warner Bros, NBCUniversal, Disney, Fox, Imagina, RCN, Televisa and ADD Content Agency.

Amedia Production’s Lady Commissioner

MARS MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT

SREDA PRODUCTION

MARS Media Entertainment was founded in 2011 by Ruben Dishdishyan, former president and CEO of Central Partnership, one of Russia’s largest independent film production and distribution companies.

Mars Media, which focuses on the production and distribution of series and feature films in various genres and formats, has launched more than 60 projects since 2013. Notable titles include drama series Rasputin, which tells the story of the ‘mad monk’ Grigori Rasputin, a close confidante of the Russian imperial family, who was killed in 1916.

Biographical drama Catherine The Great, starring Yuliya Snigir in the title role, tells the story of the Russian empress from the age of 15 to 33.

The drama focuses on Catherine’s unconditional love for Russia over 20 years of court intrigues, conspiracies and power struggles.

The events of action series T-34 take place in 1941, at the height of the Second World War. A young cadet finds himself fighting an unequal battle against a Nazi tank ace. Nobody believes he stands a chance of winning the encounter, but luck favours the bold…

SREDA Production, founded by Alexander Tsekalo in 2008, specialises in TV series and feature films for leading Russian broadcasters, including Channel One, Russia-1, NTV and REN TV, as well as for Ukrainian and Belarusian channels.

Among its recent credits are two ambitious dramas — Trotsky, a co-production with Channel One, and Gogol, a co-production with TV-3 — both of which are premiering at MIPCOM. Other key titles include The Territory, Sparta, Method, Fartsa and Silver Spoon.

The Territory, a co-production with Best Episodes Media, is set in a provincial town that is being terrorised by a series of ritual murders. The crime drama was shortlisted for this year’s MIPDrama Screenings.

Psychological thriller Method tells the story of a young woman called Yesenia who dreams of working with successful but mysterious private investigator Rodion. But when Yesenia becomes Rodion’s trainee, she starts to realise that the essence of his method is that he, himself, is a maniac.

TV epic Fartsa, set over 30 years between 1961 to 1991, tells the story of Fartsa — the illegal sale of dollars and foreign clothes — through the friendship of four boys.

Silver Spoon is a crime drama about a rich and privileged young man whose father forces him to join the police in order to prove his worth. The hit series was the first Russian drama to be acquired by Netflix, which has also acquired the above-mentioned series.

Rasputin tells the story of the ‘mad monk’ Grigori Rasputin

The Territory, shortlisted for the 2017 MIPDrama Screenings

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Production RED SQUARE

AFL PRODUCTIONS

RED SQUARE is primarily known for its big entertainment shows.

Working with international partners including FremantleMedia, Sony Pictures, Talpa, CBS Paramount, Banijay, Endemol Shine, Red Arrow and all3media, the company has produced local versions of hit international formats The Voice and The Voice Kids, Survivor, Got Talent, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, Wipe Out, Star Academy, The Cube, Fort Boyard, My Man Can and Carpool Karaoke.

Red Square is also a successful producer of scripted content. It has produced local adaptations of Fox’s Prison Break, Telefe’s Turning Point, ATM’s Tango With An Angel and Mediaset’s The Mall.

These formats, along with Red Square’s original series and shows, are broadcast on Channel One Russia.

AFL PRODUCTIONS is an independent development and distribution company, specialising in universally accessible programming for distribution across the broadcast, cable, satellite, IPTV, mobile and home-entertainment platforms. The company, whose portfolio includes more than 500 episodes and 7,000 HD clips, is presenting several new series to the international market at MIPCOM. Historical mini-series Curse Of The Diamonds tells a high-stakes story of greed, priceless gems, love and death against a backdrop of shifting personal and global alliances. Based on a true story, the first four-part series is now ready to deliver, with season two in production.

AFL is also showcasing the 20-episode reality series Lucky Bastards, which features the most remarkable accidents and unlikeliest survival stories ever captured on camera; new entertainment format Comedy Cup, which follows a national championship between teams of comedians; comedy clip show Women Driving (38 x 26 mins); and hidden-camera show Funny And Funnier (40 x 30 mins).

Red Square’s local adaptation of Fox’s Prison Break

Lucky Bastards – remarkable accidents and unlikely survival stories

YELLOW, BLACK AND WHITE Yellow, Black and White’s Hotel Eleon

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LEADING Russian studio Yellow, Black and White, best known within Russia for its comedy content, is active in film and television production, multiplatform content distribution in Russia and CIS, theatrical rental, film marketing and the implementation of its own digital projects.

The company’s TV titles include Kitchen, Hotel Eleon, Traffic Light, The Last Of The Magicans, Forever Young and The One Woman Show. Its feature films include Kitchen In Paris, SuperBobrovy, No Borders and Walk, Vasya!. Upcoming TV projects include Better Than Us and Cleaned Up. All of the above titles are distributed by Moscow-based All Media This October, Yellow, Black and White is launching the OTT-service Start, a global online platform that will distribute Russian-language series and films.

© Photo: D3Damon / Getty Images

The class of 2017 Russia’s reputation for on-screen creativity is as high today as it has ever been. Juliana Koranteng looks at some of the performers, producers and filmmakers that are driving the Russian entertainment revolution Alexander Petrov

Aleksandr Ustyugov

Age: 28 Place of birth: Pereslavl-Zalessky

Age: 40 Place of birth: Ekibastuz, Kazakhstan

AWARD-winning Alexander Petrov has already appeared in some 50 movies and TV shows, including Sreda Production/TV3’s new blockbuster thriller Gogol. He is a household name thanks to domestic TV hits including Method and Fartsa, both produced by Sreda and among the first Russian series bought by Netflix. He also has a large following thanks to TV series Law Of The Concrete Jungle and VIP Cop, plus a roster of action films that include August Eighth. Petrov made his international breakthrough this year in Attraction, the sci-fi thriller made by director Fedor Bondarchuk and released in 40-plus countries.

Attraction is expected to cement Petrov’s growing popularity on the global screen. Additionally, his talents can be seen via his performances and his own productions on Russia’s most prestigious stages, including Moscow’s Yermolova Theatre. Watch out for him in the new ice-skating film Ice and Second World War action movie T-34.

FRONTING a rock band called Ekibastuz and being a respected theatre director has not stopped multi-talented Aleksandr Ustyugov from also becoming one of Russia’s hottest actors. Russian audiences will recognise him from TV shows The Golden Horde (which has been compared to HBO’s Game Of Thrones), Adjutants Of Love and Fathers And Children, plus the 2014 movie Sunstroke. But for true fans, it is Cop Wars, the fastpaced crime drama about to enter its 11th season, that has made Ustyugov a superstar. That popularity led to him being cast in Viking, the 2016 Russian epic that cost just over $20m and was the third most expensive Russian movie ever at the time of its release.

Viking became the highest grossing Russian film that year, after being sold to an estimated 80 countries.

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Talent Anna Chipovskaya

Fedor Bondarchuk

Age: 30 Place of birth: Moscow

Age: 50 Place of birth: Moscow

THE DAUGHTER of a celebrated actress and a jazz musician, Anna Chipovskaya has established herself as one of Russia’s fastest rising screen stars. The former child actor has already been seen in more than 30 movies, 10 stage plays and a host of TV shows, starting with the 2003 children’s spy series Operation Color Of The Nation. That was followed by other domestic hits, including Dear Masha Berezina, It All Started In Harbin and Bachelors. However, it was Chipovskaya’s performance in The Thaw, a 12-part serial set in the Soviet Union’s 1960s movie business, that got her nominated for a Golden Eagle Award, Russia’s equivalent of the Golden Globes. It also caught the international industry’s attention. Today, she is headlining The Road To Calvary, the highly anticipated adaption of Alexey Tolstoy’s epic First World War novel. Moreover, she is now making regular appearances on the best-dressed-celebrity pages of international newspapers.

FEDOR Bondarchuk’s resume includes stints as a director, actor, producer, TV presenter and entrepreneur. The son of Oscar-winner Sergei Bondarchuk, he made his first known screen appearance in the 1986 Cannes Film Festival entry Boris Godunov. He has since starred in 60-plus movies, and directed and/or produced several Russian films, including his multi-award winning directorial debut The 9th Company, Admiral and The Inhabited Island. He credits also include long-running TV series Molodezhka, a primetime favourite on Russia’s CTC network. Bondarchuk also directed Stalingrad, the 2013 film that became the first Russian movie to have an IMAX 3D screening and was the country’s highest grossing release that year. His recent achievements include roles in the new high-end event mini-series Demon Of The Revolution and international box-office winner Attraction, a sci-fi alien-invasion film that was also formatted for the IMAX screen.

Bondarchuk’s business interests include his production house Art Pictures Studio.

Konstantin Khabensky Age: 45 Place of birth: St Petersburg

Marina Aleksandrova

KONSTANTIN Khabensky was propelled from domestic popularity to global stardom when maverick film director Timur Bekmambetov snapped him up to be the leading man in his cult 2004 supernatural thriller Night Watc,. The $4m spent making Night Watch generated more than $33m at the box office and contributed significantly to Khabensky’s status as arguably Russia’s most famous actor on the global stage. He has since topped the bill in the equally successful sequel Day Watch, and co-starred in Hollywood’s Wanted (2008) with Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman. His numerous awards include Best Actor at the 2017 Prague Independent Film Festival for his role in Collector.

His TV credits include Method, the 2015 thriller acquired by Netflix.

In addition to his appearance in 50-plus movies and TV shows, as well as on stage, Khabensky is admired for his philanthropic work with children. He recently made his directorial debut in war movie Sobibor, in which he also plays a role; and stars as Trotsky in the MIPCOM World Premiere TV Screening about the historic Russian figure.

Age: 35 Place of birth: Kiskunmajsa, Hungary KEEP an eye out for Marina Alexandrova on the international film-and-TV circuit. In Russia, she has played major roles in several award-winning TV series, including thriller The Executioner and 2014’s historical drama Ekaterina, about Russia’s Catherine the Great.

The latter earned her the title of Honored Artist of the Russian Federation last year. Starring in the telenovela Poor Nastya and TV crime movie Azazel have also helped raise her profile in Russia. Internationally, she was praised for her performances in the Polish epic movie An Ancient Tale: When The Sun Was A God, the French comedy drama film La Fonte Des Neiges, and NHK Japan’s 2009 blockbuster drama series Saka No Ue No Kumo (also known as A Cloud Upon A Slope). The mother-of-two also appeared in the third edition of Last Hero, the Russian version of reality TV competition Survivor.

Country Focus• 18 • OCTOBER 2017

Talent Paulina Andreeva

Taisiya Vilkova

Age: 28 Place of birth: St Petersburg

Age: 20 Place of birth: Moscow

PAULINA Andreeva’s international profile is bound to be enhanced by her appearance in the new eight-part historical epic Demon Of The Revolution, which is tipped to be an international hit. She also co-stars in the Channel One Russia psychological thriller Method. It seems high-end brands love to be associated with the glamorous Andreeva, whose talents include both acting and singing. At the 2016 Kinotavr (also known as the Sochi Open Russian Film Festival), she created headlines with her jewellery, provided by legendary luxury-goods retailer Tiffany & Co. The year before, the Australian edition of glossy women’s magazine Bazaar included her in its list of international celebrities who look good wearing sneakers and trainers. Andreeva’s recent film and TV credentials include the sci-fi TV thriller Better Than Us, Sleepers, Locust and Myths. Her singing talents, meanwhile, are on display in the movie The Thaw and the soundtrack of Attraction.

TAISIYA Vilkova has appeared in two recent bigbudget TV dramas: this year’s Gogol, the mystery thriller on Russia’s TV3 network, and Fartsa, the 2015 audience-ratings success on Channel One Russia. Born into an entertainment dynasty, Vilkova started out as a child star. She took on her first acting role at the age of seven and went on to be a regular host on Disney Channel Russia. The young actress — she turns 21 this month — graduated from the Moscow Art Theatre School this year, but she has already developed a career in her native country. Her CV includes Rasputin, the 2014 historical drama on the state-owned network Russia-1; the 2014 Winter Olympics-themed movie Champions; and the popular comedy-drama Girlzzz. International recognition has now begun. She shared the screen with Hollywood star Milla Jovovich in the 2010 Russian-made comedy film Lucky Trouble. Netflix’s acquisition of Fartsa will undoubtedly result in more international exposure.

Yulia Peresild Age: 33 Place of birth: Pskov

Yuliya Snigir

YULIA Peresild, who stars in Channel One’s epic drama The Golden Horde, is already famous, having played Lady Death in Battle For Sevastopol.

In the 2015 Russian-Ukrainian film, she played Soviet sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenko, who singlehandedly annihilated 300-plus Nazi soldiers. Peresild’s ability to shine in even the most demanding role makes her constantly in demand. Even before being hailed Best Actress at the 2015 Beijing International Film Festival and receiving Russia’s highest accolade, a Golden Eagle Award, for her turn as Pavlichenko, Peresild had received international acclaim for her performance in The Edge. She also won Best Actress at the first BRICS Film Festival in 2015. In recent years, Peresild has become a national treasure, starring in domestic films including Mysterious Passion and Cold Tango, while collecting more accolades, among them the Russian Federation President’s Prize for young artists.

Age: 34 Place of birth:Tula STUDYING English and German has paid off for Russian actress and catwalk model Yuliya Snigir, helping her nab a major role in 2013’s A Good Day To Die Hard, the most recent movie in the thriller franchise starring Hollywood star Bruce Willis. Her international achievements include her appearance in Raspoutine, the 2011 Franco-Russian historical movie starring French superstar Gerard Depardieu. Fans at home are about to see her as one of the main protagonists on NTV Broadcasting Company’s The Road To Calvary, the new Russian historical epic that is currently gaining international attention. Her credentials also include Sky On Fire, Catherine The Great and The Inhabited Island, Fedor Bondarchuk’s big-budget post-apocalyptic sci-fi blockbuster.

Country Focus• 19 • OCTOBER 2017

Russian drama: genres The Golden Horde (Mars Media)

The many faces of Russian drama What is the typical outsider’s idea of a Russian TV drama? Well whatever it is, it’s probably wrong. Andy Fry discovers a wide range of looks, styles and stories coming out of the country

The Golden Horde THE GOLDEN Horde is an ambitious 16-episode television event that takes place at the end of the 13th century in ancient Russia and the Golden Horde — part of the Mongol Empire. “Great Duke Yaroslav wants to unite the disparate Russian princedoms who are fighting with each other for power and influence, and get rid of the Mongol-Tatar yoke,” Ruben Dishdishyan, the show’s producer at Mars Media Entertainment says.

“He confronts, Berke, the Khan of the Golden Horde — heir of the great Genghis Khan — who sends his envoy to the capital of Russia to take away with him 1,000 Russian soldiers.

That’s the starting point of the series in which there is a place for all kinds of human emotion and conflict: love, ambition, disappointment, greed, lust for power, betrayal, challenging the

twin pillars of God and the state, and so on.”

Mars Media creates many TV series for Russia’s Channel One, Dishdishyan says. “We came up with the idea of The Golden Horde with the channel chiefs about five years ago.

“We set ourselves a task — to create a series like no one has ever done before in Russia”

We set ourselves a task — to create a series like no one has ever done before in Russia, one that in terms of story and scale would not yield to the best western series of the last few years.

The heyday of the Golden Horde seemed to us

Country Focus• 20 • OCTOBER 2017

bright and cinematic enough to be the foundation for such a series.”

Dishdishyan says Mars Media has already had considerable interest for the epic series from Chinese distributors and a great number of requests from Europe too. “Turkish drama Magnificent Century confirms that international distributors and audiences are always interested in human stories that take place during large-scale historical events. The Golden Horde has everything to attract the largest possible audience. Good modern directing, great acting, spectacular battle scenes, a carefully recreated Middle-Age world, and unique locations. It is an amazing script, one of the best I’ve read in the last few years.”

The series premieres on Channel One Russia at the start of 2018.

Russian drama: genres

Cleaned Up

Cleaned Up, from Yellow, Black and White

“It is a bright and dynamic project that is easy to watch”

CLEANED UP is a contemporary love story, says the show’s producer Alexey Trotsuk, “between an ex-alcoholic working as a psychologist-consultant in a rehab clinic and his patient, a junkie from the wealthy family of a corrupt Moscow official”.

The inspiration for the show was a meeting with the main author of the story. “He’s actually a former drug addict who has been clean for 20 years,” Trotsuk says. “He was able to get out of drug addiction and also help many people with the same problem by working as psychologist-consultant in a rehab clinic. His experience created the basis for this fascinating story.”

Cleaned Up was produced by leading studio Yellow, Black and White and will be distributed internationally by the All Media Company.

It was filmed in Moscow in real locations and features some of Russia’s best acting talent, including Lyubov Aksyonova, Denis Shvedov

and Vitali Khayev. While it is very much intended as a character-led piece, Trotsuk says it has a wider intention, which is to “describe current morals in Russian society, its flaws, addictions and ways of overcoming them”.

The show will be aired on Channel One Russia but also on OTT platform Start.ru, which is a new online platform from Yellow, Black and White that is now available worldwide.

In terms of the show’s wider international appeal Trotsuk says the real selling job on the show by distributor All Media Company starts at MIPCOM. And he is confident it will attract the attention of buyers: “Overcoming destructive addictions is always an important subject everywhere. So the experience of our characters has the potential to attract a wide audience worldwide. Also, despite the hardships of the story, it is a bright and dynamic project that is easy to watch.”

Better Than Us BETTER Than Us is a story centred on a family torn apart by complex events in its near past, says the show’s creator Alexander Kessel. “Former surgeon Georgy Safronov, our protagonist, tries desperately to win back his family, his job — his happy past — but with little success, as his ex-wife and two children have planned to leave for Australia. It all takes place in the really close future: we recognise our world, but there are also innovations that you and I have yet to see.” And there are androids. “They are mainly helpers, sometimes companions and even lovers. But then there is Arisa, an android of an unknown origin with a big secret that forces all kinds of other secrets to pop up, too.”

Kessel says there were two sources of inspiration for the series: “Our life, with its problems, and my love for the genre. Obviously, there is a pile of sci-fi books everybody has read in childhood… Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, Philip K Dick. But then there are also big scifi writers back in my Soviet childhood, who are famous in Eastern Europe, who came up in

a deeper philosophical and metaphorical scifi tradition, because they had to create stories under state censorship.”

The story is set in a vast city, “and though it is Moscow, we don’t define it as Moscow in the series, no iconic landmarks of our capital are present. We wanted audiences living in megalopolises around the world to relate to the story as if it could happen there, too. So we looked for contemporary and stylish city skylines where we could add some CG afterwards.”

Better Than US screened as part of the MIPDrama Screenings in April and will air on Channel One Russia later this year — and Kessel is now optimistic about its chances with international buyers: “For viewers all over the world sci-fi today is one of the favourite forms of escapism. And the pressure of current events is only increasing this sort of demand. We portray in our series key problems of today’s life in Russia, but we also made an effort to tell our story in a universal way so that in other countries viewers will have watched something they can easily relate to.”

Country Focus• 21 • OCTOBER 2017

Better Than Us, from creator Alexander Kessel

“We portray in our series key problems of today’s life in Russia”

Russian drama: genres

Chernobyl: Exclusion Zone CHERNOBYL: Exclusion Zone was a big hit for TV3 in late 2014, attracting 35% of the 18to 30-year-old audience. And now the show is back for a second series that promises to be every bit as exciting as the first, according to TV3 general director Valeriy Fedorovich and TV3 executive producer Evgeniy Nikishov.

In the first series of this popular thriller, five friends entered the radiation-affected Chernobyl exclusion zone to recover a large sum of money that had been stolen from one of them.

Fedorovich and Nikishov explain how the idea came about: “For our generation Chernobyl is a terrible word. The shocking tragedy affected virtually everyone. Several years after the catastrophe people called stalkers appeared.

Stalkers came from all over the world to visit the exclusion zone in search of adventure. They posted a great many photos and videos online, and these were the first inspiration.”

The storylines are compelling, but Fedorovich and Nikishov also believe Chernobyl’s

success has a lot to do with casting: “Much of the success was down to the main characters, the five teenagers. The rising actors starring in the show are the guys next door, it is very easy to empathise with them — but in the face of lethal danger they are forced into becoming heroes.”

The second season was shot in California, which is quite a new experience for a Russian production. “The crew spent about half a year in the USA. Chernobyl also has American actors, so some episodes of the new season feel like there are more conversations in English than in Russian.”

Chernobyl was part of the Fresh TV selection at MIPCOM last year, which Fedorovich and Nikishov believes is a good indicator of the show’s international potential. “It combines sci-fi, adventure, drama and alternative reality.

It offers a different view to history and gives room for imagination… especially now, when the nuclear threat seems more real than ever.”

TV3’s Chernobyl

“For our generation Chernobyl is a terrible word.

The shocking tragedy affected virtually everyone”

Gogol. Origins FOR THOSE unfamiliar with the writer Gogol (1809-1852), TV3 general director Valeriy Fedorovich and TV3 executive producer Evgeniy Nikishov say it is best to think of him as “a Russian Edgar Allan Poe. He established the mystery genre in Russian literature. We devoured his macabre stories in our childhood.”

TV3 took Gogol’s life and turned it into a feature film that did extremely well at the box office. In the film version, “we told our own story about a young Gogol lacking confidence, with a long way still to go to his literary success”, the TV3 executives explain. “In our story, he works in the Third Section of Imperial Chancellery, and suffers mysterious fits that let him see the other world. One day he meets brilliant detective Yakov Guro, and together they investigate the serial murders of young girls in a village.”

The success of Gogol. Origins, the first Gogol film, has encouraged TV3 to make two more films that will air in 2018. “And next year

Gogol. Origins: making a move from the big to the small screen

“It is not very common to make mystery films in Russia, to say nothing of Gothic-style mystery”

Country Focus• 22 • OCTOBER 2017

Gogol. Origins is to be broadcast on TV3,” Fedorovich and Nikishov say. “First we intend to release all the three films in cinema then transform each of them into a TV show.”

The cinema-first approach is unusual in Russia.

“No one has ever done this before. It is not very common to make mystery films in Russia, to say nothing of Gothic-style mystery. We might say we’ve established a new genre in Russian cinema — a superhero biopic. It has worked because Gogol’s stories are essentially cinematographic, you picture everything you read.”

As for the franchise’s international appeal, Fedorovich and Nikishov say it can easily be adapted into a series: “Every film consists of two parts, and there are two more two-part films to come. It is a unique experience that immerses you in a world inhabited by literary characters and folklore spirits.”

Russian drama: genres

Sparta IN SREDA Production drama series Sparta, a new student enrols in a small city school. “He quickly becomes the class leader,” says Sreda founder and producer Alexander Tsekalo, “and soon he has the whole school under his thumb.

He introduces his classmates to a computer game called Sparta, telling them the game is a sociological experiment. The game is immoral

Sreda Production’s Sparta

“Eventually, virtual reality is no longer enough and they begin to kill in real life” and cruel. The point of Sparta is that the player can do whatever he or she wants. There are no set rules. The teens are completely sucked into the game. But eventually, virtual reality is no longer enough and they begin to kill in real life. One day, a teacher throws herself out of a window. Is it suicide or murder?

That’s what a local, recently demoted, detective has to find out.”

Tsekalo says the inspiration for this chilling

drama is loosely based on “a real story that happened to my friend. Back in the 1990s, his company, promoting a game, sent a guy who was over 18 to better promote the game among school kids.”

According to Tsekalo, Sparta is unlike anything else on Russian TV at the moment: “When we launched, there were no TV series in Russia with the computer game installed in the plot. The other interesting fact is that we basically created a computer game without using full CG. This idea belongs to computer graphics director Evgeny Barulin. Actors were moving like computer-game characters and then we delineated them.”

The show, which takes place in Saint Petersburg, is due to air on Channel One Russia this upcoming winter. As for the international market, Tsekalo says: “There aren’t many projects like it. We’ve already had interest from the US and are discussing a option sale to an American company.”

Sleepers SLEEPERS is an 8 x 52-minute drama series for Channel One Russia from production company Arts Pictures Vision. Starring Igor Petrenko, it tells the story of two special-service agents secretly engaged in the battle against international terrorism.

The series was written by Sergey Minaev, a well-established Russian author who has previously worked with Art Pictures Vision on feature films. Minaev says Sleepers “is a story about people. But these people — who outwardly live their ordinary lives — actually take care of the life of the whole country. Their decisions and actions affect and create history.”

The ordinariness of his central characters’ lives is a key theme for Minaev, who says the espionage framework is only part of what the show is trying to depict. “First of all our story is about people who live in the here-and-now with their love, their passions and feelings, troubles and joys, and aspirations to change this world.”

The emphasis on terrorism reflects Minaev’s belief that “this threat has become the greatest concern for people all over the world”.

Minaev says Sleepers was inspired by the popularity of similar-themed projects such as The Americans and Homeland. “The action in the series takes place in 2013 in Moscow with several scenes in Washington and in Hong Kong. But the whole series is filmed in Moscow. We found an absolutely amazing location called VDNKh where we made almost 80% of the project.”

According to Minaev, “VDNKh is a unique place on the map of Moscow. In Soviet times this abbreviation was deciphered as The Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy. The exhibition reminds you of a big city where you can find any location — not only modern ones. Some of the pavilions are real architectural monuments built in the 1940s and 1950s.”

Country Focus• 23 • OCTOBER 2017

Striking locations feature in Arts Pictures Vision’s Sleepers

“These people — their decisions and actions affect and create history”

Animation

Heroes of Envell, a first for Russia at MIPJunior

Taking on the world Russia’s status as an animation superpower is re-confirmed this year in Cannes, with Parovoz’s children’s fantasy Heroes Of Envell the first Russian animation to receive a World Premiere TV Screening in MIPJunior’s 25 years. Juliana Koranteng looks at some of the Russian animation powerhouses that are conquering the global market Country Focus• 24 • OCTOBER 2017

RUSSIA’s expertise in animation has been admired since the Soviet era. But new opportunities have opened up recently, thanks to the country’s estimated 2,300 TV channels, which include specialist networks such as Carousel, 2x2, CTC, Mult and the local Disney Channel. In addition, local streaming platforms, for example ivi.ru and Megogo.net, and international rivals including Netflix have allowed Russian animation to reach more kids and families at home and abroad.

Some animation production houses including X-Media Digital and Parovoz are self-funded.

However, the country’s culture ministry, the Russian Cinema Fund, the Russian Animat-

ed Film Association and the Russian Export Center, have contributed to several of the Russian firms, including Riki Group, Wizart Animation and Melnitsa Animation Studio, that are giving Pixar, Disney and DreamWorks a run for their top-dollar animation money.

Diana Yurinova, the Riki Group’s vice-president of international business development and distribution, says: “This year, president Putin personally made a decision to support our industry and the grants are very helpful.”

Melnitsa sales director Lucy Tsoy adds: “CTB Film Company, a holding company that Melnitsa is part of, received grants for four films, one of which is the second part of the 3D animation

Country Focus• 25 • OCTOBER 2017

film Urfin Jus And His Wooden Soldiers.”

The international attention has been rewarding too, says Natalia Ivanova-Dostoevskaya, CTC Media’s head of animation: “Russian content is more competitive worldwide. We’re seeing success stories with big distribution deals on global animation networks. Our successful Kid-E-Cats confirms that. Many Russian producers have announced new film and TV productions, which means the number of productions is increasing.”

Even smaller players like MetronomeFilms — famous for titles including Lucky You!, Tiny Feet, World Lullabies and My Own Personal Moose — are international award-winners.

Animation DIANA YURINOVA

YURI MOSKVIN

Vice-president of international business development and distribution The Riki Group (Saint Petersburg) Launched in 2003. Specialises in production, licensing and marketing.

General producer Wizart (Moscow) Launched in 2007. Specialises in producing, distributing and marketing high-end family animated feature films and TV shows in Russia and internationally. Also operates digital, licensing and distribution divisions, and trains aspiring animation, VR and AR producers at its Wizart Animation School.

Strengths of Russian animation: “The characteristic feature of our shows are the many layers of dialogue, some aimed at kids and others at their parents. We work with the best script translators to adapt the text, so that the meaning doesn’t get lost in translation overseas.”

Recent productions: TV series Tina & Tony and feature film Kikoriki. DejaVu. Most popular brands: The Kikoriki children’s animation franchise, which has aired on most Russian TV channels and streaming platforms, and has clocked up more than 4.3 billion YouTube views; toddlers’ show Baby Riki, which has had 760 million-plus YouTube views; and the award-winning sci-fi animated adventure PIN-code.

International platforms featuring Riki Group’s productions: Cinemas in the US, South Korea, the Middle East, Israel and Spain; Chinese platforms CCTV, Tencent Video, iQiyi, Youku and Beva; and Netflix, which has licensed 178 episodes of Kikoriki in Russian and English.

Achievements: Awards at the Open Russian Festival of Animated Film and Moscow Premiere.

Recent productions: New pre-school TV series Yoko.

Most popular brands: Feature films The Snow Queen 3: Fire And Ice, The Snow Queen: Wonderland, Sheep & Wolves and Kitten From Lizjukova Street.

Unique selling point: “We follow the major studios’ strategies when developing franchises.

Our first franchise, The Snow Queen, opened in 2012 and has grossed box-office receipts of almost $50m worldwide. The fourth franchise is in production and we are working on a TV series called I’m A Snow Queen… Just A Little. We also develop AR and VR content. AR apps are used for marketing and promotion in public spaces, such as cinemas, cafes and malls. And we’ve developed several games for our franchises.”

Achievements: Yoko has been sold to more than 140 countries. Wizart has participated in 60-plus film and TV festivals and, in 2016 and 2017, won awards at South Korea’s Seoul Guro International Kids Film Festival, Pakistan’s Lahore International Children’s Film Festival, the US’ Catalina Film Festival, the UK’s Golden Unicorn Awards during Russian Film Week, Spain’s Meraki International Film Fest and International Film Music Festival, and the Open Russian Festival of Animated Film.

Snow Queen: Wonderland

Tina & Tony

Country Focus• 26 • OCTOBER 2017

230_PROFIL_SPECIAL_COM

Animation LUCY TSOY

VICTORIA BOLOTOVA

Sales director Melnitsa Animation Studio (Saint Petersburg) Launched in 1999. Specialises in 2D and 3D content. One of Russia’s largest animation studios, employing more than 350 people. Has the capacity to create 600 minutes of animation annually.

Senior media manager, international Animaccord (Moscow/Miami) Launched in 2008. Best known for the Masha And The Bear franchise.

Strengths of Russian animation: “Russia is a large market, but the average income of its population is lower than in most of Europe. The top-five most popular animation titles in the country are Russian-made: Animaccord’s Masha And The Bear, Melnitsa’s pre-school series The Barkers and Moonzy, Aeroplane Productions’ The Fixies and Kikoriki by the Riki Group.”

Recent productions: Currently in production on Tsarevny, a 26 x 6 mins CGI series for girls aged between five and 11, for broadcast giant CTC Media, co-produced with Moscow-based CTB Film Company.

Most popular brands: Moonzy, the pre-school animation series co-produced with state-owned broadcaster VGTRK, which boasts 5.8 billion YouTube views; and preschool comedy animation series The Barkers.

International platforms featuring Melnitsa films/shows: The film Urfin Jus And His Wooden Soldiers has been sold to 21 countries. The Barkers is destined for pan-Middle East service MBC and Israeli network HOP!.

Strengths of Russian animation: “There is a balance between entertainment and education. I also think that its future will be a mixture of new technologies, new ideas and the demands of a new generation.”

Most popular brands: Masha And The Bear in 2D and 3D CGI, plus spin-offs Masha’s Tales and Masha’s Spooky Stories.

International sales of Masha And The Bear: Includes Universal Kids and Netflix (US and Canada), Corus Entertainment (Canada), Turner Broadcasting System (Latin America, the UK, EMEA and the Middle East territories), KiKA and Sony Music Entertainment (Germany, Austria and Switzerland), RAI Cinema and Warner Bros. (Italy), and France Televisions, Canal+ and NBCUniversal (France).

Achievements: The official YouTube channel for Masha And The Bear in Russian has over 10.9 million subscribers worldwide. It is on 10 official YouTube channels in the English, Russian, Italian, Spanish, French, German, Ukrainian, Portuguese, Arabic and Chinese languages. The Masha brand has gained almost 26.8 billion YouTube views worldwide.

Achievements: Over the course of its existence, Melnitsa has received more than 170 awards, including major prizes at international animation festivals in Annecy, Zagreb and Aspen.

Moonzy

Country Focus• 28 • OCTOBER 2017

Masha And the Bear

Animation DMITRY GORBUNOV

ANTON SMETANKIN General director Parovoz Animation Studio (Moscow) Launched in 2014. Considered one of the most prolific studios in Russia, with nine series in production simultaneously this year alone.

Executive producer X-Media Digital (Moscow) Launched in 2006. A content distributor that operates a Russian VOD platform and YouTube MSN specialising in kids and family educational entertainment.

The future of Russian animation: “Some future trends are clearly visible today. Children have short attention spans and quickly change platforms, so we create cartoons that attract them. A year ago, we were the first to develop a VR app based on cartoons. In May, we introduced Mult VR, Russia’s first family-friendly virtual cinema app. We also work together with developers of games based on our titles.”

Achievements: “Since 2006, when X-Media launched one of Russia’s first VOD platforms, we’ve also created one of the biggest global YouTube multichannel networks, with over 700 channels generating more than 2.5 billion video views a month. Our main YouTube channel, Get Movies, was the first Russian non-blogger channel to hit 10 million subscribers.”

Recent productions: Heroes Of Envell, Cutie Cubies, F.A.S.T. and Woodventures.

Most popular brands: Be-Be-Bears, Fantasy Patrol and Leo & Tig. International platforms featuring Parovoz productions: Available on a variety of platforms in several languages, including English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Mandarin, Japanese and Hindi.

Achievements: Best Foreign Animated Series at the 2016 Xiamen International Animation Festival in China and Best Series Grand Prix at the 2016 Open Russian Festival of Animated Film. Heroes Of Envell honoured with World Premiere TV Screening at MIPJunior 2017.

Recent productions: Captain Kraken.

Most popular brands: Magic Pik; The Little Princess, Otto’s Walk and Cars, Cars International platforms featuring X-Media productions: Includes leading children’s TV channels on Russia’s Carousel, Mama. tlum.ru; Mama.tlum.ru HD and VOD platforms ivi.ru, Okko.tv and Megogo.net; and Chinese VOD platforms including iQiyi, Youku Tudou and Sohu.com’s Sogou platform. Currently in talks with other international platforms.

Be-Be-Bears

Country Focus• 29 • OCTOBER 2017

Captain Kraken

Animation ALEXANDER GERASIMOV

NORAYR GYUZALYAN

CEO Masterfilm Studio (Moscow) Launched in 1996. The acclaimed studio is also renowned for co-organising the Open Russian Festival of Animated Film.

Producer AA Studio (Moscow) Launched in 2010. Owns 1,700 minutes of CGI animation in the form of TV shows and feature films aimed at families.

Strengths of Russian animation: “Russian animation, just like Russian ballet, combines the best traditions from the Soviet era’s animation school and modern-day trends.”

Strengths of Russian animation: “The Russian animation school is one of the world’s best and oldest, with our animators winning many festival awards for a long time. In the past five years, the Russian animation industry has grown thanks to new graduates given classical training at schools that originated from the Soviet era and government subsidised studios. New technology plus the fall in the rouble’s value have also slashed development costs.”

Recent productions: Currently in production on Charlotte And Frogson, Little Zoo and Hello Baby for young kids and pre-schoolers.

Most popular brands: Three Kittens and 70-minute feature film Wizard Of Balance.

Achievements: Ivan Maximov’s Bolero won the Silver Bear trophy at the 1992 Berlin International Film Festival.

Recent productions: Trains, Rabbit’s 10, The Wonderful Adventures Of Nils (a Studio 100 Media co-production), Woof-Meow and feature film Santa’s High School (released in 2018).

Wizard Of Balance

Rabbits 10

VLADIMIR NABATOV Head of business development Project First (Moscow) Launched in 2014.

Specialises in content for pre-school children and toddlers.

Strengths of Russian animation: “I believe that the Russian animation industry is more integrated into the global business than ever before. Russian studios are involved in co-productions. Global audiences are more familiar with works created in Russia. For example, Leo The Truck gets almost the same views on YouTube in Latin Spanish as in Rus-

sian. And many people involved in Russian production still consider animation an art form.”

Recent productions: Smarta And Her Magic Bag and Lifty’s Shop.

Most popular brands: Leo The Truck and McWheelie.

Doctor

International platforms featuring Project First productions: Includes YouTube and Amazon Prime Video.

Doctor McWheelie

Country Focus• 30 • OCTOBER 2017

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